New chemical-mixing station helps with record-keeping

The computer on the Mixmate controls the air and the rinse water. | Praxidyn photo

A new chemical-mixing station can save applicators time with mixing and reporting of chemical batches.

Iowa-based Praxidyn won a gold standard award this summer at Canada’s Farm Progress Show for their Mixmate portable chemical mixing station.

Operators pour chemical jugs into the station by placing them on the rinse nozzle in the stainless steel inductor. If air is available, it will automatically be blown into the jug, which speeds up the process.

The Mixmate “will be monitoring the weight and capture the weight of the chemical and then rinse the jug. The process takes about 12 seconds to do a 2.5-gallon jug. It’s very quick and you get measurement and record keeping all in that same process,” said Doug Applegate of Praxidyn.

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The computer on the Mixmate controls the air and the rinse water.

“The computer will watch to see when the jug is empty and then it will turn the rinse water on. It’s’ also going to empty the inductor at the same time,” Applegate said.

Up to six mini bulk tanks can connect to the back of the Mixmate, which controls the 12-volt electric pumps and valves that control the product flow from the tanks.

“We can also use flow meters, so we can measure multiple products simultaneously. One perhaps in the inductor and additional products through the flow meters. So it makes the system very fast,” Applegate said.

He said operators can load a 1,200 gallon sprayer in about five minutes when using a Mixmate.

Bar graphs on the tablet control-screen displays the status of the mixing process, and records of each mix are taken automatically.

“The system is controlled with an Android device and it’s cloud-connected so you can go in your office and do the reporting and work orders and things,” Applegate said.

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Mixmate also connects to CANbus communication ports to control valves and monitor flow meters.

He said the Mixmate costs US$7,000 to $30,000, depending on the features.

Mixmate is designed to be a modular system and there are many ways to configure it.

The inductor starts at about $16,000, while a flowmeter-based system starts at $7,000.

“A lot of guys are running four bulk inputs perhaps on flow meters, and using a manual inductor. Some use just the stainless inductor on the bulk and jugs, some use a combination of both. Those are the fastest and most flexible systems,” Applegate said.